Water saver and suds lock elimination system for washing machines

ABSTRACT

A WASHING MACHINE IS PROVIDED WITH AN OUTER FLUID CONTAINING TUB, AN INNER CONCENTRIC SPINNER TUB FOR RECEIVING CLOTHES TO BE WASHED ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE OUTER TUB, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AND REMOVING WATER FROM THE OUTER TUB, A NOZZLE FOR SPRAYING WATER INTO THE SPINNER TUB AND   CONTROL MEANS SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTING ON A MEANS FOR ROTATING THE INNER TUB AND A MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO THE NOZZLE TO SEQUENTIALLY ROTATE THE INNER TUB AND SPRAY WATER THEREIN TO REMOVE SUDS AND RINSE THE CLOTHES.

INVENTOR Peyton W. Douglas P. W. DOUGLAS FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Oct.10, 1968 March 16, 1971 United States Patent 3,570,272 WATER SAVER ANDSUDS LOCK ELIMINATION SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES Peyton W. Douglas,Bemus Point, N.Y., assignor to Blackstone Corporation Filed Oct. 10,1968, Ser. No. 766,390 Int. Cl. D0615 23/04, 33/02 US. CI. 68-12 3Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A washing machine is provided with anouter fluid containing tub, an inner concentric spinner tub forreceiving clothes to be washed rotatably mounted in the outer tub, meansfor introducing and removing water from the outer tub, a nozzle forspraying water into the spinner tub and control means simultaneouslyacting on a means for rotating the inner tub and a means for supplyingwater to the nozzle to sequentially rotate the inner tub and spray watertherein to remove suds and rinse the clothes.

This invention relates to a water saver and suds lock elimination systemfor washing machines and particularly to a washing machine whicheliminates the problem of suds lock while providing a more eflicientrinsing system for washed clothes.

A very significant problem with automatic washers, both vertical typeand horizontal type, is suds locking in the spin and drain cycle to apoint where the soap or detergent suds never leave the outside collectortank and as a result are returned to the basket and to the clothesduring the deep rinse cycle following the wash cycle. Clothes which havebeen subject to suds locking leave the washer with a significant amountof washing agent left in the clothes. This is a most undesirablecondition because clothes which carry over washing agent from thewashing machine are discolored in a clothes dryer. This condition ofsuds lock occurs as a result of the fact that suds remain in the outsidetank as the water drains out first leaving a. head of suds between thetank and the inner tub or basket. When the inner tub or basket isrotated at high speed in the extraction step it churns and aerates thesuds increasing the suds volume like whipping cream in a blender. Thisnot only slows down the inner tub but increases the suds volume to anoverflow state which is impossible to remove during the rinsing cycle.These suds are then distributed into the colthes during the subsequentdeep rinse.

I have invented a water saver and suds lock elimination system forwashing machines which overcomes this problem. This is accomplished byspraying both the clothes and the suds with water at properly spacedintervals immediately following the washing operation in conjunctionwith properly spaced spin or extraction cycles.

Preferably I provide a washing machine having a substantially stationaryfluid containing tub, a perforate spinner basket for receiving clothesto be washed and centrifugally dried rotatably mounted within said tub,a washing agitator within said basket, means for selectively operatingsaid washing agitator and said spinner basket to successively washclothes in said basket and thereafter centrifugally dry the same, meansfor removing water from said tub during the operation of said spinnerbasket, nozzle means for spraying water into said basket, means forsupplying water to said nozzle means and control means simultaneouslyacting on said means for operating the spinner basket and means forsupplying water to said nozzle to sequentially spin the basket, stop thebasket, spin the basket and introduce water into the basket through saidnozzle to provide a spin rinse, stop the basket and water supply, spinthe basket and again introduce water 3,570,272. Patented Mar. 16, 1971into the basket through said nozzle to provide a deep rinse, stop thebasket and water supply and finally spin the basket without adding wateruntil the clothes are centrifugally dried. Alternatively, the controlmeans may be such as to omit all stops following the wash stop and toomit the deep rinse and final spin to provide a short cycle using lesswater and time. The control means may provide for both with a manualswitch to permit the operator to select one or the other. Preferably thenozzle means produces a spray onto the clothes in the basket and thesuds accumulated or remaining in the basket and tub. Preferably thecontrol means acting simultaneously on the means for operating thespinner basket and the means for supplying water to said nozzle is asequential timer acting on an electric motor driving the spinner basketand a solenoid valve in the means for supplying water to said nozzlemeans. The control means is preferably set, in the water saver cycle,sequentially to cause the spinner basket first to spin for about oneminute, spin and spray for about one and one-half minutes, spin withoutspray for one-half minute, spin and spray for about one-half minute andfinally spin alone for about five and one-half minutes. In the regularcycle a deep rinse is inserted after the spray rinse and prior to thefinal spin. By centrifugally dry as used herein I do not mean absolutelydry but to the level of dryness ordinarily attained in extraction orspin dry washers.

By the system of my invention I am able to reduce both the amount ofwater and the total time of a washing operation by /3 or more while atthe same time completely eliminating the carry-over of washing agent onthe clothes from the washing machine to the dryer and this eliminatesthe discoloration which has heretofore created problems in washing.

In the foregoing general description I have set out certain objects,purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes andadvantages Will be apparent from a consideration of the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a washing machine embodying myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a control system for the machine ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a second control system for the machineof FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a washing machine havingan outer housing 10 supporting an outer tub 11. An inner perforateconcentric spinner basket 12 is mounted within tub 11 on sleeve 13extending through bearing seal 14 in tub 11. A shaft 15 extends throughsleeve 13 and carries an agitator 16 within basket 12. Through suitablemechanism contained within casing 17 the shaft 15 is oscillated tooscillate agitator 16 to perform the washing operation and the sleeve 13is rotated to rotate the spinner basket 12 for centrifugal drying. Asuitable mechanism for performing this is shown in my Pat. 3,215,232issued Nov. 2, 1965 and will not be described in detail here. Themechanism in casing 17 is driven by an electric motor 18 as described insaid Pat. 3,215,232.

Water is supplied to the machine through a conduit 19 and isrecirculated within the machine or discharged from the machine by pump20 operated by motor 18 all as described in my Patent 3,136,254.

When the washing operation is concluded, timer 21 reverses the directionof motor 18 causing sleeve 13 to rotate which in turn rotates basket 12.At the same time pump 20 is reversed to pump the water from tub 11. Whenthe water has been pumped out (about one minute) and before the suds arebeaten up to an excessive degree the motor 18 is stopped by timer 21 topermit the suds to settle and deaerate (about one-half minute). At thispoint motor 18 is again started in the centrifugal drying dryingdirection to rotate sleeve 13 and basket 12 and at the same time valve22 in line 23 leading to nozzle 24 is energized to open the valve, bothby timer 25. Basket 12 is rotated by motor 18 and at the same time motor18 drives pump 20 to discharge water from the tub. At the same timewater is sprayed from nozzle 24 into basket 12 onto the clothescontained therein until the suds disappear and the washing solution isrinsed from the clothes and both have been discharged from the machineby pump 20 (about one to two minutes). Timer 25 then closes valve 22while continuing to hold the motor 18 in operation to centrifugally drythe clothes by continued rotation of basket 12.

In FIG. 3 I have shown a second control sequence in which I break up thespray of water into two operations for most effecting rinsing. In thisembodiment the operation is exactly as described above to the pointwhere water is sprayed into basket 12 through nozzle 24 until the sudsand washing fluid are removed, and like numerals are used with a primesign to identify like parts. However, at this point, the timer 25' stopsboth the basket rotation and the flow of water by de-energizing motor18' and valve 22 to permit the clothes to drain for a short period(half-minute) rather than stopping only the water spray. A timer 26'then re-energizes both the valve 22' and motor 18 causing the basket tospin and water to spray from nozzle 24 through the clothes for a secondshort period (about one-half minute) whereupon the valve 22' isdeenergized and motor 18' continues to spin basket 12 to centrifugallydamp dry the clothes (about 5 minutes).

Alternatively I may provide a parallel normal spray rinse and deep rinsecycle with a manual switch 30 between the controls for such normal cycleand the controls for either of the cycles disclosed in connection withFIGS. 1 and 2 or FIG. 3. This alternating system is shown inchain linein FIG. 2. In this regular cycle a timer 31 operates valve 22 and motor18 to spray water onto the clothes during a spin cycle. The tub isstopped and water is sprayed in to provide a deep rinse, the motor 18 isthen operated to drive agitator 16 for a short period, then reversed topump out the water and spin dry the clothes.

While I have illustrated and described certain preferred embodiments ofmy invention in the foregoing specification, it will be understood thatthis invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A washing machine having a substantially stationary 4 fluidcontaining tub, a spinner basket for receiving clothes to be washed andcentrifugally dried rotatably mounted in said tub, a washing agitatorwithin said basket, means for selectively operating said washingagitator and said spin ner basket to successively wash clothes in saidbasket and thereafter centrifugally dry the same, means for removingwater from said tub during the operation of said spinner basket, nozzlemeans for spraying water into said basket, means for supplying water tosaid nozzle means, a pair of separate control means, one simultaneouslyacting on said means for operating the spinner basket and means forsupplying water to said nozzle to sequentially spin the basket andoperate the means for removing water, spin the basket and introducewater into the basket through -said nozzle while operating the means forremoving water until substantially all wash fluid is removed fromclothes in said basket, then stop the introduction of water through thenozzle means while continuing the basket spin and water removal andfinally stopping the basket spin and water removal when the clothes aredamp dry, the other control means simultaneosuly acting on said meansfor operating the spinner basket and means for supplying water to thenozzle to sequentially spin the basket and operate the means forremoving water, spin the basket and introduce water into the basketthrough said nozzle while operating the means for removing water, thenfill the tub for a deep rinse, remove the deep rinse water and then spinthe basket and operate the means for removing water until the clothesare damp dry and means for selectively energizing one of said pair ofseparate controls.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for selectivelyoperating said washing agitator and spinner basket is a reversingelectric motor and bi-directional clutch drive.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control means isa sequential electric timer circuit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM I. PRICE,

U.S. Cl. X.R.

Primary Examiner

